Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-09-18

SOASlllutIOu WAS COuelSLSUl VIII IuG puI- /
pose and spirit OF that instrument, and
essential TO the perpetuity Of the nation.
1t experience can teach anything on the
subject OF theories OF government, the
late civil war teacheS Enthusiastically that
those who believed the source OF danger
10 be in the strong powers of the Federal
government were in error, and thst those
who believed that such powers were nee
essary to it's safe conduct and continued
existence were in the right The attempt
ed destruction of the Union by eleven
states, which were part OF it, sud the sp-
parent temporary success Of the effort,
was undoubtedly due to the capacity
Of the states under the constitution for
concerted action by orgsnlZ9d movements
With al the machinery ready at hand 10
raise armies and establish a central gov
eminent. And the ultimate failure Of the
attempt is to be attributed with equaI
clesrness to the exercise Of those powers
of the general government under the
constitution, which were denied TO it by
extreme advocates OF state rights. And
that this n GIT no longer be
MATTER OF DISPUTE,
three new amendments to the COnstitu-
ton were adopted a. the close of that
struggle, which, willie keeping z view
| the principles of our complex form OF
state and federal government, and
seeking to disturb the dlstribu-
! ton Of powers among them a.
little as was consistent with the wisdom
acquired BY a sorrowful experience, these
amendments confer additional powers on
the government of the UGiOD, and place
additional restraints upon those of the
states. May it be long before such an
awful lesson is again needed TO decide
upon disputed questions OF constitutional
law.
1t Is not out OF place to Temsrk tbs,
while the pendulum Of public opinion has
swung with much force away from the
extreme point of state rights doctrine,
| there msy be danger OF It's reaching an
extreme point on the other side. In my
opinion, the Just and equal observance Of
the rights Of the states, snd o. the gener-
al government, as defined by the present
constitution, is as necessary to the per
manent prosperity Of our country, and to
It's existence for another century, as il
has been for The one whose close we are
ROW celebrating.
Having considered the objections orig
inally made TO this g,est work, in the
light OF its operation fer s century, whist
shall we say of it in regard to those great
features which were more generally sc
ceptable? The doctrine of Montesquieu,
then in the height Of mis- fame, that the
powers essential 20 oil governments
should be distributed among
three separate bodies Of magls-
tracy namely, legislative execu-
tive and judicial-wss, es Madison eli ms
in number Xvii. of the FederaIist, recog
niZ2d by the convention as the foundation
Of IFS labor5. The apparent departure
! from that principle II making the SeDate
participant in the exercise Of the sp-
pointing power, and the tresty-mskiDg
power, works well, because the Initiative
remains with the executive. The power
Of thst body to try impeaChments Of pub
'iC Officers fer high crimes and misde~
meanors-a function essentially judicial
while it has not produced any suOs .antiSf
injury-has, perhaps, operated as 8 ssfsty
valve in csses Of great popular excite
ment. As an efi5ient remedy, it mQst BE-
conceded
/ TO BE FAILURE.
| But the harmony and success with
which the three great subdivisions Of the
organized government Of the consfitu-
ton have CO-Operated in the growth
prosperity ard happiness of the great
people. constitute the strongest argument
in favor Of the organic law, which governs
them all. 1t is the first successful
attempt, in the history OF the world, to
lay the deep and broad foundations of 3
government for millions Of people ana sn
Unlimited territory, in 8 single written
instrument. framed and adopted in one
great national efCTt. This instrument
comes nearer than any of political origin
20 ROusseau's idea of society fGUC ID
On social contract. Ia its formation,
states gnd individuals, in the possession
q equal rights,--t rights CT human
nature common tC e!l-mEt together and
deliberately agreed to give up certsiu OF
those rights to government for the hette!
security of others; and that there might
be no mistake about this agreement il
was reduced to writing, with sll the
solemnities which give sanction to
THE PLEDGES OF MANKIND.
Other nations speak Of their con5titu-
lions, which are the growth OF centuries
of government, and the msXims OF eX
perience, ard the traditions OF ages
many of them deserve the venerstior
which they receive. But a constitution
in the American sense of the word, as &C
copied in all the states of North snC
South America, means an instrument il
writing, defining the powers OF govern
ment, and distributing those powers
: among different bodies of magistrates fol
their more judiclous exercise. The con
stitution of the United States not only
did this as regards national govern
ment, but it established O federation o
many states by the same instrument, il
T which the usual fatal defects in sucl
unions have been corrected, with sucl
felicity that during the hundred years o
its existence the union OF the states ha
grown stronger, and has received within
thst Union other states exceeding il
l number THOSE of the original federation
1t is not only the first important writ
ten constitution in history, but it is tn
n first one which contained the principle
2 necessary to the successful confederation
= of numerous powerful states. 1 do no
q forget, nor DO | mean to disparage, OF
i sister, the federal republic of Switzer
:. land. But her continuance SIS an inde
+ pendent power in Europe is so large
: due to her compact territory, her ,inac
a cessib'e mountains, her knowledge OF tt
= necessity Of union TO safety, and the POI
q icy of her powerful DeighOOrs, which dc
\ uands CT esch other
THE REC0 dNITIoS OF HER RIGHTS
that she hardly forms en- exception. Blu
! Swift RAND stands to-day may she eve
Il stand-as the Oldest witness to the cap6
! city OF republican federation OF state
: for sound government, for the securit
g Of freedom, and resistance to disintegra'
n ing tendencies. But when we lock to tn